Delay in Protocols ratification process by Turkey is normal occurrence

PanARMENIAN.Net - Normalization of the Armenia-Turkey relations without progress in the Karabakh settlement can harm Ankara's relations with Baku, states the report of Chatham House "Turkey, Russia and the Caucasus: the common and conflicting interests".



According to the report, the war in August of 2008 adversely affected the Armenian economy and therefore opening of the Armenian-Turkish border, closed by Turkey in 1993, may be useful either for Armenia or Georgia.



Chatham House believes that Turkey put forward preconditions for Armenia to open the border: abandoning international recognition of the Armenian Genocide and settlement of the Karabakh conflict on terms favorable to Azerbaijan.

"After the August events Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan initiated the start of "football diplomacy", resulted in signed protocols on the establishment of the Armenia-Turkey diplomatic relations. This initiative, contrary to some expectations, did not lead to Moscow's resistance, " the report said.



The report focuses also on Russian-Turkish relations. "Moscow supports the Kurds and the Turks of Cyprus, where Russia can create an offshore zone. British experts believe that the Russian-Turkish relations correspond to overall political picture of the region.



According to Chatham House, despite current concerns, normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations would unlikely lead to the weakening of relations between Russia and Armenia, and on the other hand, cooling of relations between Ankara and Baku.



British experts treated as normal the delay caused by Turkey of the ratification of Armenian-Turkish Protocols. "Delays could have serious consequences, since the Armenian authorities threatened to abandon the process of reconciliation, if the protocol ratification process is delayed," the report of Chatham House says.